Mass Destruction: The Evidence
by Queenie Thomas
Summary: Set 3 years after the reaper war when Shepard sacrificed his life to save the entire Galaxy. Miranda stumbles across information that could possibly destroy Shepard's legacy. Its up to Miranda, Jack and Kasumi to preserve this information so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands even if it means sacrifice.
1. Secret

"Miranda, you cannot believe everything you hear" Jack hissed turning her back on Miranda as she fuddled with data pads on her desk.

"It's true, I had my sources check on it and we surely have a strong lead" Miranda disagreed trying to plead with the ex convict as she stood across from her.

"But that's impossible…Shepard isn't that kind of person" Jack said lowering her head. She traced the metal name tag on her desk. She looked out the window into the nothingness that was space.

"Yes I am aware but the least we can do is check this out. What if we can make a difference?" Miranda pleaded her eyes searching for Jacks. She folded her arms waiting for the ex con to look at her.

"What if it isn't true, Miranda… and…. it's a big waste of time, I have to work anyways. My kids need me" Jack turned around now facing her frowning.

"Please Jack you are the only person who I can trust with this information...I… Don't want to do this alone" Miranda turned her back letting her words sink into the tattooed girl's skin. Jack would be the only person who wouldn't tell anybody hell she didn't have anybody to tell. Jack was the type to not blabber your business and to keep her mouth close.

"Why not" Jack spat. Her lips twisted into a cold sneer.

"Because I cannot be there 100 percent. I cannot make a promise that I know I can't keep. Also I have my sister…" Jack cut her off

"What makes you think I can give up everything just for this"? Frustation started to stettle over her. Her hands began to shake in frustration as she stares Miranda down coldly. Her agitation was growing.

"Because I see potential in you, I know that this would be perfect for you" Miranda said nodding her head.

"You don't know anything about me cheerleader. I can't just drop everything I'm doing to follow a lead that may not be true. I have a job Miranda" She said coldly turning around to walk on the side of her desk.

"Yes I understand but this maybe the last thing he ever left" Miranda said in a solemn voice. She missed him. Hell we all did.

"I…I don't know Lawson. This isn't what… what I need right now." Jack sat down on her desk looking on the floor.

"You were in love with him weren't you"? Miranda asked. A question she already knew.

"How…How dddid you know?" Jack's voice was soft and her eyes showed hurt.

"I watched you and him, the way you interacted with each other, the eye contact"

"Love, I don't know that word but I cared about him" Jack said softly.

Jack just sighed. "I pushed him away, like I do everybody…" she said as if her mind was not really here.

"Jack you still have a chance, it may not be with him but it's the last physical object he has left for us. Please Jack this is substantial."

"I….I guess you're right. Do you know where it is"?

"I am uploading the direct coordinates to your omnitool now. I believe it is also wise to bring someone perhaps one of Shepard's alliances" her omnitool glowed.

"Well of course not Spector how about Garrus?"

"Sounds good, call him and tell him to meet us at the citadel tomorrow" Miranda commanded.


	2. Mistaken

"Let me get this straight, Commander Shepard….had an illegitimate child by an unknown woman. You have no substantial evidence but a lead that may or not be legit am I correct?" Raising his eyebrow at the yet far fetch idea.

"Garrus please, I did not want to believe it at first but it needs to be at least investigated" Miranda insisted.

"Miranda you are asking a lot from me at this moment I have the situation back on Palaven to deal with I just cannot stop what I am doing to chase a lead that may or may not be true" Garrus was not backing down.

"But don't we all owe Shepard…" Miranda started until Garrus cut her off

"Look I can't go but the most I can do is get you a ride on a ship that can take you to her. But other than that… have you considered asking Kasumi for help"?

Miranda had not thought about that she could use Kasumi's efforts

"Jack can you get in contact with Kasumi?" Miranda asked facing Jack.

Jack nodded and touched her ear to bring up communication with Kasumi.

"Miranda you cannot possibly believe that Shepard would do this, he loved Ash" Garrus said in a pleading tone.

"I know. If I check up on this lead I will know for myself" Miranda confirmed

"If this goes public…"Garrus started

"I understand, I do not plan for it to be public" Miranda cut him off. Just like ole times.

"What about Ash, will you tell her"?

"I haven't thought that far Garrus"

"I have to return to my people please keep my posted"

"I will, be safe"

"You too"

Garrus walked on towards a group of Turians who were anxious to greet him.

"Kasumi said she will meet us at the commons" Jack said. Her face was unreadable. Jack's face was normally unreadable but this time it seemed like it was intention.

"Okay, let's go" Miranda said leading the way. Jack just stared at the back of her head. Did she really want to drop everything for a man who she once loved who has an affair?


	3. Agreement

"So you are telling me that Shepard has an illegitimate child by an unknown woman."? Kasumi asked as her eyes began to widen.

"Yes we believe so" Miranda said nodding her head.

"I do not believe it, Shepard is… was not that kind of person" Kasumi argued.

"Yes I understand Kasumi but this is just a lead if it turns out not to be true than…" Miranda was cut off by Kasumi

"What if it is true, what if Shepard is not the person we thought he was" Did everybody have a habit of cutting people off?

"It doesn't matter he is a hero and remember everything he has done for us" Miranda began to get irritated. Jack just sat there lazily. Looking at nothing in particular.

"I….fine… I will….assist you on your mission, Miranda" Kasumi said.

"Good we can meet up with Garrus and discuss our possible trip to meeting the woman. And Kasumi"

"Yes Miranda"

"This is a secret no one is suppose to know"


	4. Confidence

"So I take it you met with Kasumi" Miranda nodded. She folded her arms as she sat at one of the tables in the Presidium commons.

"Okay listen I know of a turian rescue ship that is going past that specific planet. You have to find some way to get a cruiser to take you there. But you're going to have to stay there for a few days so that it can return to pick you up" Garrus informed whispering to make sure no one else heard them in the commons. His eyes deadlocking the cold blue eyes.

"Great we have to find a cruiser to get to the planet? The Turians can't just let us borrow theirs?" Jack responded agitatedly.

"They need it in order to get supplies to the planet" Garrus informed.

"How can we fit 2 shuttles into the ship"?

"We would probably have to find a smaller one Jack" Miranda replied aggressively obviously annoyed by the convicts sudden attitude.

"Yes, if you find one let me know I can set you up with the ship but it has to be by tonight so that I can confirm that three passangers will be on it" Jack sighed. Garrus nodded and got up to continue with this work.

"Good luck" He said walking off to do what ever he did.

"Fine. Well its not like we can just go buy one. You think Tali might give us one?" Jack asked Miranda.

"There are 2 fallacies in your idea. 1. Tali is in Rannoch and cannot give it to us. 2. There are already too many people who know about this already we cannot afford publicity and you know how Quarian's like to talk" Miranda suggested.

"I guess." Jack shrugged lazily. Sinking back into her chair. Lifting her head back and closing her eyes. Producing a small sigh.

"We are going to have to find someone who is willing to sell us or rent their shuttle"

"Or we can just go for a joy ride" Jack smirked. She was recalling a couple of joyrides that had almost cost her life but was the most fun .She remembered telling Shepard that the Normandy could be theirs, joy ridding it, becoming pirates all in a days work.

"We most certainly will not, that will influence the kid" Miranda scoffed and glared at Jack.

"It's not like we will tell them"

"Maybe but if a dozen of krogan ships land on the planet demanding to know why we took their shuttle is not going to end well" Miranda said locking her eyes in with Jacks. She would have dismissed the idea as just a joke if it was anyone else but Jack. She knew Jack was somewhat serious.

"I can take out a dozen of krogan" Jack said confidently now raising her head up and raising her eyebrow at Miranda.

"I'm sure just please be on the lookout for a cruiser" Miranda said not really having faith in Jacks confidence.

"whatever cheerleader"

"can you pretend that my name is Miranda for a moment" Miranda asked deadpan.

"I already am cheerleader" and with that Jack got up from her chair and walked away.

"Kasumi, I need to find a cruiser know anywhere I can get a 'free' one"? Jack touched her communication device.

"Um… Let me see I will contact you when I can stea….ahem…. find a 'free' one" Kasumi disconnected. Jack smiled missing her old comrade.


	5. Captured

Miranda headed to the main docking bay trying to find someone willing to let them buy or rent a shuttle. She asked the main desk where a 3 Turians were working.

"Hello, is there a place I can buy or rent a shuttle"? Miranda asked one of the c-sec officers as she approached the desk.

The c-sec officer raised an eyebrow he looked at the other officers. Eyeing Miranda suspiciously.

"Look Miss whatever you are planning, it is not allowed here" The turian informed her. Still eyeing her with suspicion

"I am not planning anything" Miranda said raising her voice slightly. She was kind of shocked that officer would even assume anything of the sort.

"Since the security breaches all sorts of people have been trying to create various coup attempts and to smuggle items off world" The officer stared at her.

"I am not a smuggled I'm…" Miranda was cut off.

"I do not care who you are it says here you are flagged as a security alert…we are going to have to take you in"

"You cannot take me in" She was raising her voice at the guard.

The Turian that was talking to her eyed the other one as if to say we have a problem Houston. He pressed a button and 2 guards formed behind Miranda grabbing both of her arms. She began to squirm

"Please come with me" Said one of the guards with a cold smirk

She did not want to resist because she did not want to cause a scene and the last thing she needed was a warrant out for her arrest. It was bad enough that she was working with an ex-convict who probably had a dozen warrants out for her.

Could this day get any worse Miranda thought as she was hauled into one of the security doors.


	6. Cloaked

Meanwhile Jack is in the refugee docking bay causing mayhem.

"Look I need a shuttle an I know you have one" Jack fumed while grabbing a Batarian by his military uniform pulling him close with a threatening grip. She gave him a glare not even a krogan could return.

"…lllook human I do not have a shuttle" The batarian pleaded waving his arms as if to beg for no trouble.

"You're lying how else did you get here" Jack responded with a harsh tone grabbing his uniform even tighter.

"Ahem" An unfamiliar voice said interrupting Jack's shakedown of her latest victim

Jack looks up at the two Turian c-sec guards glaring at her, crossing their arms together.

"Come with us" One of the Turian gaurds said.

"I don't think so" Jack said releasing her victim and preparing for a fight with the guards.

Her body began to emit biotics she was not going to stand down from a fight especially when she was getting heated already.

"Jack"? a familiar voice said.

"Garrus" Jack returned.

Jack breathed and stood up straight. Semi relieved that he was here.

"Look guys I got it from here" Garrus informed the gaurds

"She was about to…" The other guard started to say.

"I got it from here" Garrus said forcing his dominance. Since the reaper war Garrus was considered the head honcho of a lot of things.

They looked at each other nodded at Garrus and walked away.

"Jack what the hell are you doing"

"Tryna find a shuttle"

"Scaring people and getting c-sec envolved is not helping anything"

"What ever I don't know what else to do, I cant find anyone willing to let me borrow a shuttle and I cant get in contact with Miranda"

"Miranda? Shouldn't you be worried she always answers even when she is busy". Jack hesitated thinking his consideration over.

"Yeah well I figured she was off doing some super secret mission she never tells me anything anyways" Jack said beginning to walk off

"Look why don't you go to Captain Bailey he might be able to help" Jack stopped in her tracks and looked back at her former team mate.

"Like hell. How am I suppose to even come close to his office? There's guards everywhere. Political idiots running around shoving papers in everyone's faces. Snotty ass "ambassadors" waiting to kick you out if you even breathe" Jack said doing the air quote when she said ambassador.

"Jack you know that If you hadn't barged into Talid's office calling him a human hating fascist bastard and threatening to put your boot up his ass you would not have been banned from going to the embassy or even coming near it" Garrus said with a humorous look on his face. He had been called to deal with the situation and had heard everything she said. Her actual line was my size 7 boot up your scrawny turian ass. She was lucky that Garrus was there or she would have probably been arrested and asked to never return to the Citadel.

"He deserved it what he did was wrong and..." Jack attempted to plead her case.

"Could have sworn we had a cloaked friend" and with that Garrus walking off waving his head for exasperation.

Jack thought for a moment indeed she had a cloaked friend who was suppose to help them with this.


	7. Discovered

"Are you sure this is gonna work" Jack asked Kasumi.

"Yes" Kasumi said confidently as they approached the elevator

"Kasumi if I get caught I am going to be…" Jack said with a scowl on her face.

"Where is the Jack I use to know the one who didn't care about the rules" Kasumi urged

"That was before I became a….teacher" Jack smiled at that. Teacher. Who knew?

"Just trust me and remember no talking they have cameras on the elevators they will hear voices and know what's going on" Kasumi informed her former team mate again.

They approached the elevator staring at it for only a moment. The proceeded to select it

"Hello please select your destination" The automatic response of the elevator chimed

Kasumi selected embassy

"One moment please"

The elevator moved

Jack was about to open her mouth but Kasumi shook her head. Jack remembered and snapped her mouth shut.

The elevator stopped on the embassy floor and doors opened.

"We have arrived at your destination" the automatic voice chimed.

They got off

Jack looked back at the guards who were openly staring at the empty space of the elevator.

"What is wrong with the elevator" one of the Turian guards asked.

"I am not sure it does this every once in a while must be a malfunction I'll report it to the tech department" The other guard informed

Jack looked at Kasumi. High tech elevators do not normally malfunction especially ones monitored by technicians.

"What I'm banned at certain places also "she gave Jack a devilish smile.

Jack chuckled to herself and shook her head.

"Okay let's go Captain Bailey's office is right there" Kasumi said as they slithered passed c-sec guards who were unaware of their presence.

The door opened and captain bailey looked up

"What the…" Bailey said staring at the opened doors.

The door closed and Jack and Kasumi materialized out of nowhere.

"Well what do I owe the pleasure" Bailey said putting down his papers folding his hands and glancing at the two girls

"Jack could have sworn you weren't allowed at least 200 yards of Talid" Bailey continued staring at Jack.

Jack just smirked. Was it 200 feet or 200 yards she couldn't remember.

"Captain Bailey we need a favor" Kasumi said with a dazzling smile.

He lifted his eyebrows

"We need a shuttle"

"For?"

"It's for... um…we need to find something"

"Like"

"Well… it's a secret"

"Ladies look I respect all of your brave efforts in the reaper war. You are honored for your bravery but I cannot just get a shuttle especially during this time.

"It's for Shepard…he has…he left something for us and we need to get it…"

"Something like" Bailey responded. Jack looked around while Kasumi blushed and lowered her head.

Then it hit captain bailey, Shepard must have had a child

"Oh…well than that changes things"

"It's just no one needs to know especially not the public" Kasumi said smiling.

"Of course I will get you a shuttle, when I do I will contact you and let me know where to dock it."

"Of course thank you Captain Bailey"

"Hey Bailey you think you could get me access to the embassies and perhaps purgatory again" Jack said without interest.

"Sorry Jack I'm not a miracle worker" Bailey said looking back at his computer.

Jack sighed and shook her head.

"And ladies, be careful"

"We will thank you"

They clicked on the device and walked out the door unnoticed.

"What the hell did you do at Purgatory?" Kasumi asked Jack

"Long story, let's just say they won't be serving ryncol there anymore". Jack smiled obviously enjoying a personal joke.


	8. Detained

They had led Miranda into a small interrogation office. She was forced to sit in a chair in front of a desk. She thought about escaping but there was a Turian c-sec guard standing in the corner to insure she did not leave without permission. She stared up into a reflection of herself. She knew what this was a human adaption of an interrogation room. She room looked unappealing. The walls were a dull gray color. That was different than any other wall in the citadel. The floor was made up of thick dull colored concrete. There was one light that barely lit the entirely small room. There was no green light that was normally on every door. Even the table was bare and boring. If someone was in this room for too long it could drive anyone mad.

They deactivated her Omni tool and she sat there for 45 minutes in the room. Various c-sec guards came in asking her questions. Accusing her of things she never did. People threatening her. She even had to slam one of them down because they were trying to attack her. Miranda's patience was at its end. This place was unprofessional ,there seemed to be no one in charge and this could not have been funded by the council. The council knew she helped Shepard save the galaxy and stopped her dad from creating more mindless husk. She was innocent of whatever they were accusing her of. Suddenly another c-sec officer came in. He looked different his armor was a silverfish blue color. He walked in with confidence and strut. He looked uninterested. He carried a couple of data pads in his hands. Probably all containing information about her. He sat down in the chair across from her. Not even looking at her but staring into the data pads. His mandibles started to move.

"Ms. Lawson you are a former Cerberus agent, are you not" he asked Miranda

"Yes"

"In my book that makes you a terrorist"

"I also helped Commander Shepard save the galaxies ass over again while you stand there passing out parking violations at the presidium" Miranda said irritably. Calling her a terrorist. Really?

The Turian investigator looked up at the Turian c-sec guard only to hear him chuckle.

"I am aware that you may have helped the galaxy but Cerberus did not help in the time of the reaper war. They were against it" He said.

"How can you say that? Members of Cerberus helped build the damn crucible that saved your Turian ass" She said lying back in the chair with her hand on her forehead.

Miranda never talked like that unless under extreme pressure. And boy was she under it. She only had a couple of hours to tell Garrus if they had a shuttle or not she didn't have time to sit her in an investigation table.

"I would like to speak with Garrus Vakarian he can vouch for me"

"Vakarian cannot help you here" He said looking through the data pads.

"Are you sure call him and see" She said with a smirk

"He cannot help a former terrorist" in a accusing voice.

"I am not a terrorist" she said defensively.

"C-sec seems to disagree" he said returning the smirk

"Who issued this warrant anyways?" she said.

The investigator looked up at her from the data pads.

"This isn't even a warrant… which means I am not entitled to stay" Miranda said knowingly.

"True I am conducting my own investigation but Cerberus scum like you will pay…I am not letting you leave"

"Under what pretenses"

"Under the pretenses if you try to leave my guard over here will shoot to kill"

"You can't do this"

"I can do whatever I want Miranda. I indeed plan to make Cerberus pay for everything it has done starting with its most valuable member".


	9. Forgotten

"I have no idea where Miranda is." Jack blurted out as she sat across from Kasumi at the round tables in the presidium commons.

"Still haven't heard from her yet"? Kasumi asked. Already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, it's just like her to be gone when it's time for something important" Jack informed her. Jack knew Miranda's tricks. Its not the first time she bailed on something important.

"We only have a few hours until we have to tell Garrus if we have a shuttle or not" Kasumi said. Glancing at the time on her omnitool.

"You think Bailey will get one for us"? Kasumi said checking her messages just incase Bailey had called her.

"I don't know I hope so." Jack slouched in forward in her chair. Hands on her head. Sighing loudly. Something she did often. She decided to make plans for her students back at the academy. She opened her omnitool to see what they were suppose to do today.

"That's strange Miranda's omnitool is off" Kasumi informed Jack with a worried look on her face.

"It's always off when she's doing something important. We already checked that anyways." Jack said uninterested in the discovery Kasumi made.

"Not off but like off off"

"Huh"? Jack was puzzled. Off off?

"Deactivated" Kasumi was trying to lock eyes with jack so that jack could realize the importance of this discovery.

"Why would it be deactivated" Jack was still looking at her omnitool

"I'm not sure, you think she's in trouble"? Jack knew Miranda better than Kasumi

"I don't know, maybe she did it because she's on a mission or something"

"Jack you know this baby is important to Miranda she was the only one who got us on this mission we have to figure out its not like her to just up and leave without a warning at least"

"I don't know Kasumi this isn't the first time she's done this. Do you know how hard it was to find her after Shepard's death? Then she helped coordinate part of the memorial then on the last week for the final touches she bailed. Talkin' about something came up at the last minute then before that …" Kasumi cut jack off.

"Jack I don't know I have a gut feeling that something is wrong" Kasumi said her face masked with worry.

"Well…I don't know…how are we gonna find her if we have no idea where she is." Jack said irritably. Not so much at Kasumi but more at Miranda for pulling off another disappear act.

"Well we can ask somebody if they have any idea" Kasumi said with her famous grin.

.

.

.

"Yes it's nice to talk to you also" Kasumi said in a seductive voice.

""Yeah, oh really how wonderful." Kasumi was practically purring as she talked on her omnitool.

"Yes definitely" She said smiling.

"Ahem" Jack said rolling her eyes at Kasumi's failed attempts to woo in her crush.

"Right, Jacob is it like Miranda to deactivate her omnitool"?

Kasumi waited patiently as the voice talked into her ear.

"That is what I suspected, thank you"

"No its unusual, he says that it sounds like she's in trouble."

"Dammit" Jack said holding her hand to her head.

"We have to look for her" Kasumi said her eyes boring into Jack's

Jack rolled her eyes "Fine where should we fucking start looking" she said in an irritated voice.

"We could start with the back alleys and work our way up" Kasumi said knowingly

"While we are looking we will wait for captain bailey to contact us again about the shuttle"

Jack nodded.

"by the way you know that Cerberus puppy has a baby and a fiancé now. I don't know why you're even tryin to flirt with him" Jack said

"Yes well from my experiences even a wedding promise sometimes is betrayed"

"you know back on the ship quite a few people use to flirt with him. But it was like he was always up Miranda's ass".

"Yes, I heard they use to date"

"Can't see it, She's too much of a high expectations bitch and he does what ever he's told. I thought he was gay for a while"

"Why did you think that"?

"Oh no reason, no reason at all". Jack replied remembering a little conversation she had once had with Jacob.

They searched for hours threatening low life scum down in the back alley ways of the citadel. Traveling to the lower and upper wards but nothing. No one ever heard of Miranda or knew where she was.


End file.
